The Strongest Ally
by Puppet-Dancer
Summary: Cato regretted the time when he allowed Clove to go to the feast alone. In the end, he felt guilty when he wasn't able to reach her in time. They could have won the games, went back to their district and celebrate as victors. Only it didn't happened.
1. PART 1

**The Strongest Ally**

**"CATO!"**

I heard her call my name. Her voice sounded rasp, almost like a loud croak. I dashed towards the clearing where the Cornucopia was placed, regretting the moment when I told her to get our bags where the feast was held. I know she's fast and intelligent enough not to get killed by the other tributes itching to get their precious bags; I have placed such a great responsibility on her shoulders. I told her I'll be at near radius from her, hiding in the bushes for a kill. Her voice called my name for the second time again followed by an ear-splitting scream that I am not aware that she could utter.

Clove is a strong girl. She is the bravest girl I have ever met. She knew what she was doing when she volunteered at the reaping; brown eyes that flared with bravery, I know she would be a perfect ally for me.

But during the pre-games, Clove proved to me that she isn't just a mere ally for me neither just a friend in the games. _She is more than that._

I stormed my way to the group of bushes in front of me, not minding if they were scratching my skin with their long sharp tendrils or thorns that began to prick me like needles. At this moment, my mind is set on reaching Clove in time. She was calling me; screaming my name as if she is already dying. God, I hope she is still all right once I get to her. It would surprise me if I find her dead at the Cornucopia. Not just caught me by surprise, it would make my world crumble down. Only Clove's presence kept those pieces from falling down to me.

_Is this my weakness?_

I am almost at the clearing, the gold colored Cornucopia shining before me like a trophy made of real gold. I pushed through the thick berry bush and met the sun's glare into my eyes. I looked away from the skies and turned to the Cornucopia. A rustling of leaves on my left caught my attention; I held my sword protectively before me. _Is that the girl from district 12?_ The rustling passed and my thoughts came back on finding Clove. I will get back to that tribute after I find Clove.

I pushed a bush in front of me and to my utter shock found Clove sprawled on the grassy ground, blood enveloping her body. I run as fast as my feet could carry me and almost dove beside her limp body. She is still breathing, but she looked so worn out and pale that almost gave me the impression that she is already dead.

I lowered my sword on the ground. I can be vulnerable just this once, knowing that the other tributes have already left the feast as all their bags have been already claimed. "Clove?" I whisper her name, like the rustling of leaves above our heads.

She stirred in my arms, her eyes slowly opening. I looked down to her face; the shadow from the Cornucopia making her face darker. I ignored the slimy feeling of blood on my hands as I held her head down to my lap.

Clove is dying. A blow to the head must have caused it.

"Cato?" she whispered my name, her voice almost crackling. I silence her, holding to her already limp body. I wanted her to feel she is not alone, that I will always be here with her even if she is already fading away.

"Rest. You will need it." I lied.

Clove forced a smile on her lips, her eyes almost blank and emotionless. I regret the day that I will not ever see the sparkle in her eyes. She was radiant when I saw her in her gold dress during the Chariot event. She was sparkling gold; her eyes twinkling as we waved hands to the audience. I imagined her again with her orange colored dress during the interviews; how she flirted with me, commenting how brute and handsome I looked in my suit. I reckoned she was mocking me.

I have grown being complimented by my strong demeanor yet I am too embarrassed to accept the fact of being commented as handsome. Only Clove made me feel like that. During my trainings in our district; I was the perfect bet to win the hunger games. I am strong, very powerful and not easily distracted with killing people. I was known to be a young boy without any glint of fear and vulnerability, that I am a person who finds being weak nauseating.

"Cato?" her voice trailed off.

I looked down to her face, regretting the moment when I have to see her eyes look into nothing. I smiled at her weakly. "Stop being stubborn Clove!" I cannot show weakness, especially that I am being filmed at the moment.

I went to the games with a strong demeanor. I will walk out of the games with a strong demeanor. Even if I don't want it to be, it just had to be.

"Sorry. I cannot go home with you." her voice sounded distant.

I fought the tears back. I cannot be weak. I cannot cry. I cannot let her words waver me. I am Cato of District 2. I am the deadliest tribute around. I am strong. I will be the victor of this hunger games.

"You're coming home with me!" I exclaimed at her but she just smiled to my face and before I could tell her not to think of leaving me, her eyes began to still; empty and lifeless. I gritted my teeth as I closed her eyes.

The last image of her when she told me to come to her rescue if she gets into trouble in the feast shook me with such intensity that every inch of my life began to rattle; thirsty for revenge.

As I lowered Clove's body down to the ground, the sound of the canon boomed in my ears. I stood up and saw a hovercraft almost coming to where I stayed. I looked at Clove's body for the last time and imagined the first time we met during the reapings. Clove stood at the platform, a strong demeanor radiating with her as she looked at the audience with her fearless eyes. When our eyes locked to each other when we shook hands, that was the time I felt a strong attraction to her.

Clove is different. She is strong. _She was strong._

I turned my back from her dead body and dashed to the woods before me. The only things on my mind right now is to kill those other tributes, avenge Clove's death, win the games and go back to district 2; to the place where I first met her.

"_I will win for Clove!" _

This is my only way to show how I cared a lot for her. _Even if she cannot see it anymore._

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNGER GAMES; ITS STORY AND CHARACTERS BELONG TO SUZANNE COLLINS.**


	2. PART 2

**THE STRONGEST ALLY  
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**PART 2**

**Almost there**

I have already heightened awareness. We are only three in the games now; me, the girl on fire and lover boy. Winning is essential now. I heard rustle of leaves to my right and a sound of growling on my left. _Must be wild dogs or wolves. _

I lowered my sword to my side, feeling every inch of my muscles tense as I look around me for my competitors. It would have been more dramatic if Clove is still alive with me. We could win the games. With our alliance and trust with each other, we could kill those tributes from 12. But now, I am outnumbered but not for long. All I need to do now is to kill lover boy, then the girl on fire would be an easy kill.

_Just like that, I can win this game!_

I heard twigs snapping on my left now. I crouched down to the ground, feeling my boots digging into light earth ground. I hovered for a little while until I caught sight of red lights blinking at a distance. I narrowed my eyes. _What could that be?_

I approached it carefully; my sword ready if someone will pounce right at me. _I can do this!_

I stepped on a twig loudly and every inch of my muscles clenched. I am exhausted. I am frustrated, yet I still have the energy to kill whoever is out there with me. The night is blinding, but I can still continue on.

I stood up straightly, the silver blade of my sword glistening from the light in the skies. I walked closer, my eyes and fists ready for a counterattack, pearls of sweat now cascading down from my forehead to the corner of my eyes.

The red lights blinked again and heavy footsteps began to charge towards me. I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly, ready to swing it for the enemy. I stepped backward, my stance enough to land a blow to whoever is charging at me.

To my surprise, a large dog with glistening brown fur appeared before me. It was growling; hungry for fresh flesh, its mouth dripping slimy saliva. I clenched my teeth. _I can kill this._ I have killed enough people, I can kill this dog.

But as it approached me, growling like a wild dog, I was suspended to the reality that it wasn't just an ordinary dog. It was a mutt. I have seen ones like these in previous games. They are altered genetically. I narrowed my eyes as it howled before me, it practically made me drop my sword from fear that it could tear me into halves. I backed away but it pounced right at me. I swing my sword; fortunate that I landed a blow to its head. It crawled to its feet, wincing. I inhaled and exhaled deeply; huffing puff of cold white smoke in this thick fog.

"Come on mutt!" I challenged it.

Just before it could attack me again, another one appeared from behind me and tossed me like a limp doll to a nearby tree. I felt my shoulder blades cracking and my ankle twisting when I fell down to the ground. I pulled myself up, enough to dodge another mutt from tearing my head off. I scrambled to my feet, only to realize that I have lost my sword in the process. I began to stand up, wobbling as I made it through the clearing.

I run as fast as I can, dodging rocks and trees in the process. I am already at the Cornucopia, the mutts still on my heels. But as I was about to reach the mouth of the golden Cornucopia, I heard someone screaming from behind me. I turned to look pass my shoulder, only to find the girl from district 12 running towards me.

I can kill her if I only have my sword now. But as I looked at her grief-stricken face, I instantly understood the fact that she is not running towards me to kill me with her bow and arrow, but the fact that she is also running away from the mutts now on her heels.

I quickly climbed the Cornucopia. The district 12 tributes already on top. The mutts below us were howling and growling like the hungry dogs they were engineered into. I fought the fear in my eyes, and dove for an attack to lover boy. _I can kill them now with my own fist._

He kicked me hard on my belly and I rolled to the metal surface, moaning from pain. I looked at his eyes with much dedication to win and charged at him again. He pounded his fists to my face but I was strong enough to handle those _girly-like attacks_. The district 12 girl joined as. I kicked her hard on her stomach and she rolled on the metal floor, her weapons scattered around her. Lover boy was eager to avenge her but I fought him off. I wrapped my arms around his neck, ready to snap his head. Girl on fire aimed her arrow at me and I grinned mockingly at her.

"If you shoot me, he'll go down with me!" I threatened. I can let her win but I cannot let her win with her fellow tribute. If she has to win, she wins on her own. This is a win-win situation.

"It's better like this, Katniss." Lover boy mumbled. I tightened my grip on his neck, ready to break them once girl on fire readies her arrow to my head.

But to my surprise, district 12 girl shot her arrow to my hand. I screamed in agony, as metal dig into my flesh. Lover boy pushed me hard from the Cornucopia and I stumbled to the ground and into the fangs of the mutts.

Flesh begin to tore away from my muscles, blood splattered around my face and limps. I wailed as they dig into my skin like rabid animals hungry for meat. I closed my eyes and saw Clove's face smiling at me.

_Maybe I was wrong to volunteer as a tribute. Maybe I was too arrogant. Maybe I made the wrong decision._

I couldn't keep my promise after all. I am already at death's bed yet I cannot accept the fact that I am already defeated. I looked up to the Cornucopia and saw the girl on fire wrapping her arms around lover boy. I regret the truth that I felt a pang of jealousy. I wanted it so badly to be at their position, with Clove hugging me just like girl on fire. I closed my eyes and saw how incapable I am in my own vision.

The mutts continued to kill me slowly. I looked up again to find my competitors' faces drawn into a pity look. "Please!" I motioned for girl on fire to shot me right in the head. To ease me from pain. To die now than to suffer more.

She looked at me one last time and shot the arrow to my head. I felt it dig into my skull and blood poured down to my face. I inhaled loudly, my body beginning to numb. The mutts stopped biting me with their enormous fangs. One by one, they left me dying on the ground. One mutt stayed, looking down to me. I looked at its eyes and saw brown eyes staring into my soul. I forced a grin on my face. I know those eyes; Clove's brown eyes.

The mutt howled and left. I looked at the skies as the break of dawn filled it with a glorious canvas of morning light. I closed my eyes and saw myself coming back to District 2; all dressed me in Capitol suit. I see my parents and siblings cheering with the crowd, my father giving me that look of pride. I looked around me, the mayor offering me his handshake. Everyone was smiling, cheering and rejoicing and when I look to my side; Clove was there. She was with me all this time. I smiled at her and she returned me with her bright smile. I took her hand to mine and we both rejoiced with the people of district 2.

The unending happiness building in my chest felt good that I wanted to die away like that.

Light tinkled on my face as the image began to blur in my head. "My name is Cato. I am from district 2. I was almost there." I whispered to nothing and then a void of darkness enveloped me, pulling me down to a pit of nothingness.

_This is my end. _

And the canon booms, signaling my death.

***end***

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><p><strong>An: This is my version of how Cato lived during the final events of the game. This is only fanfiction. I do not own the hunger games trilogy. While writing this: Sam Cushion's fanmade song for the novel "The fault in our stars" is being played in the BG. It brought tears to my eyes. I am a big fan of the hunger games trilogy and I find the other tributes' relationships with each other a story that could have been told. But seeing the book is written in first person, I guess it's not possible. So I made a backstory of D2's tributes. Clove and Cato's stories are not well defined in the book. So with this fanfiction, I bring to you my back story for these awesome careers. Again, this is plain fanfiction. **

**So what do you think of this story? Comments and reviews are very much appreciated. **

**HAPPY HUNGER GAMES! AND MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR!**


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